ABC News' 'Pope Francis and the People' Moderated by David Muir Wins Gabriel Award for News and Information

— -- ABC News' 'Pope Francis and the People' won a Gabriel Award for News and Information. ABC News President James Goldston sent the following note to staff.

I’m so pleased to announce that ABC News’ Pope Francis and the People has won the Gabriel Award for News and Information.

The Gabriel Awards, created by The Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals, have been awarded for more than 50 years. A Gabriel-worthy program recognizes and upholds “universally recognized human values such as community, tolerance, justice and compassion.”  That is certainly true of this moving ‘virtual’ town hall which provided a unique window into how Pope Francis responds to some of the most complicated and fraught issues of our day. The broadcast connected Pope Francis with an audience of over 100 homeless people near Skid Row in Los Angeles, a group of undocumented mothers and children a few miles from the Mexico/Texas border and an audience of students whose Chicago high school sits on the border of two gang territories.

An outstanding team of people from all across the news division joined forces to make this program not only compelling, but seamless -- from the herculean booking effort in four cities, to the great care given to the most vulnerable speakers to David’s flawless moderating from the Vatican, in Spanish, no less.

Please join me in congratulating the entire team, truly the best in the business.

James